1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk tray, and more particularly to a disk tray for a mini disk player having a system for guiding a mini disk cartridge to be loaded precisely, and which enables automatic loading of a mini disk cartridge.
2. Prior Arts
A disk player is a device for recording a magnetic or photo record on or reproducing it from a disk. Various methods of loading a disk cartridge on or unloading it from a disk player have been developed, as a method among which various disk players, in which a disk cartridge is loaded or unloaded by a disk tray of draw type, have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,583 issued to Funabashi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,429 issued to Matsumoto disclose examples of the above described disk tray of draw type.
Funabashi et al.'s disk loader comprises a pair of retainers, in which a disk tray is guided by means of racks formed at the disk tray and each of the retainers, and pinions between the disk tray and each retainer.
However, Funabashi et al.'s disk is not proper as a disk tray for a mini disk player, considering the space the retainers and pinions take. Further, Funabashi et al. discloses only a system for guiding the movement of the disk tray and does not consider systems for accommodating and holding a disk cartridge, opening or closing a shutter, etc.
Meanwhile, Mastumoto's recording medium driving device comprises a disk tray with which a detachable rack is interlocked. The device enables a dual operation that the rack is interlocked or separated with the tray, and thereby the possibility of separation of the rack in guiding the disk tray is prevented so that damage due to wrong operation can be prevented.
However, the manufacture and fabrication of Mastumoto's device are very difficult because the construction of the detachable rack is very complicated.
Therefore, there has been necessity for a guide system, which can guide the movement of a disk tray with certainty, and at the same time the manufacture and fabrication of which are simple.
In the meantime, in a conventional mini disk player, a disk cartridge is loaded directly or loaded in a top-loading type, and there has not been disclosed hitherto a mini disk player in which a mini disk cartridge is loaded in a front-loading type by means of a draw type disk tray.